National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

An alcohol overdose occurs when there is so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain controlling basic life-support functions—such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control—begin to shut down. Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizure, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex (which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.

Tue, 10/16/2012 - 12:00

Tue, 10/16/2012 - 12:00

Time course and metabolism are important factors According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) scientists, existing epidemiologic evidence supporting the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk needs further study. “Understanding how and when alcohol consumption increases breast cancer risk is important for a full understanding of how moderate alcohol drinking impacts women’s overall health,”...

April 23-24, 1998 • Ramada Inn • Bethesda, Maryland Co-Sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Office of Research on Women’s Health , National Institutes of Health , and the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Contents Speakers Agenda Introduction Background Overview of FAS Early Studies on Prevention of Alcohol Use in Pregnancy: Lessons...

About the Underage Drinking Research Initiative The Underage Drinking Research Initiative (UDRI) is a key program of NIAAA. The goal of this initiative is to better understand the factors that compel youth to begin drinking, continue drinking, and progress to harmful use, abuse, and dependence. We seek to understand and address underage drinking within the context of overall development, and...

Risks of using alcohol to relieve your pain: mixing alcohol and pain medicines can be harmful, analgesic doses of alcohol exceed moderate drinking guidelines and chronic alcohol drinking makes pain worse.

The size of the older adult population is increasing rapidly. Alcohol use among older adults is also increasing . Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that approximately 20 percent of adults aged 60-64 and around 10 percent over age 65 report current binge drinking. Older adults can experience a variety of problems from drinking alcohol...

A new Web site and booklet from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) could help many people reduce their risk for alcohol problems. Called Rethinking Drinking, the new materials present evidence-based information about risky drinking patterns, the alcohol content of drinks, and the signs of an alcohol problem, along with information about medications and other resources to...

As we move from January to February, some people’s motivation to keep their New Year’s resolutions starts to wane. But it’s a good idea to be mindful of how alcohol can adversely affect our health all year long.

ALCOHOL USE AND ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS IN THE UNITED STATES: Main Findings From the 2012–2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) April 2016 National Institutes of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304 Bethesda, MD 20892-9304 Acknowledgments This publication was developed by CSR, Incorporated, under Contract No. HHSN275201300016C for the operation...

Drinking Category and Year Age 15-44 (Total) 15-17 18-20 21-25 26-34 35-44 Percent S.E. Percent S.E. Percent S.E. Percent S.E. Percent S.E. Percent S.E. Any drinking 2015 53.1 0.5 17.1 0.9 41.8 1.3 65.7 0.8 59.7 0.9 53.9 1.0 2014 54.8 0.5 20.4 1.0 42.8 1.5 65.8 1.0 60.5 1.0 57.6 1.0 2013 53.5 0.7 19.1 0.9 43.6 1.3 65.2...

Fri, 04/30/2010 - 12:00

Fri, 04/30/2010 - 12:00

Drinking may harm adolescents' ability to concentrate and to understand spatial relationships. A recent study led by Susan Tapert at the University of California, San Diego compared the standardized test scores of 76 12 to 14 year old kids with their scores after about three years. At the three-year follow-up, 36 of the kids had begun drinking at moderate to...

Thursday, December 14, 2017, 1:00 pm EST

Description: Why are drinking guidelines different for women than men? How do the health effects of heavy drinking differ? Where can women turn for help if they have an alcohol problem? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) are partnering for a Twitter Chat on women and alcohol...

Thu, 05/17/2012 - 12:00

Thu, 05/17/2012 - 12:00

Research shows that primary health care providers can promote significant, lasting reductions in drinking levels and alcohol-related problems by asking patients about alcohol use and briefly advising them to reduce risky drinking. In a new study, researchers supported by NIAAA showed that doctors and nurses in an emergency department can also do effective brief interventions for patients who report risky...

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM 163rd Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM May 9, 2023 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened its 163 rd meeting at 11:04 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in hybrid format, i.e., both...